Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1887-12-30
beak. Under i. is q. small stone cabin

beak. Under il IS small stone cabin
surrounded with s fringe of green. Wild,
black bogland lies beyond, skirted by 8
strip of deep red bog, which looks as
warm IN the sunshine as if il were q gold
inine.
Little Mary, who lived in tho cabin, had
been so starved ever since she was born
that she had given up trying TO grow.
der small face wRs as white as the bios
SONS of the bog cotton, and her body
was almost as thin as the slender stem
from which it swings in tne breeze. There
were eight children in the cabin younger
than Mary, and they all stood round nog-
gin of mix which Mary had just MIXED
from she COW.
Give me tint for the baby" said the
mother, land carry the rest to poor old
Bid at the back of the bog. She's sick,
children, AID the rest OF Us are on our
feet"
The children let off gazing at the milk
and Mary ran of with the noggin as fast
as hecould without splitting it.
She had Just got to the black bog where
the red one joins it, when she saw very
strange figure squatting on the ground
dwarf, with his short arms thrown M as
If to save himself from falling backward.
and with 4 most peculiar expression on
his countenance. A cry seemed to come
from him, and putting down her noSgin,
Mary ran to his assistance, but when she
came close to the figure she found il was
C0thing but great lump of bogwood
that had been uucarted out of the bog.
With wild laugh and half-frig hteu ed
glance over her shoulder, she picked up
her noggin again and hurried on her way.
Bids only son was miles of looking for
work, and the bed-riddan creature was
alone, except when angel messengers like
Mary came and ministrred TO her.
Mother says she's afeared it is the
last time, Bid said the child; "for the
cows going, and, and Wen all be on the
road, may be, before the month is out"
The Lord forbid" said the old wom-
an, when she had moistened her lips.
May He send you the rent, up ont of the
earth, or down out of the sky, you that
have kept tie neighbor out of the poor
house"
The dusk was Gardening the purple
mountain, and this moon scuQding wild
and bright through clouds and mists,
when little Mary, flying like a gull, stop
ped, Oh her toe and stood gazing once
more at the dsarf-like figure ksquattiug
forlornly on the very edge of the red bog.
This time there was no mistake about the
matter. The stump of bogwood was gone
and the strange figure was throwing up
his arms frantically TO attract the little
maiden's attention. plover gave
weird cry at the same moment and the
dwarf cried out
Help me up! oh, help me up! The
awkward fellows have left me in soft
place and l am sinkingm
Mary walked up on her tiptoes and
looked at the dwarf. His eyes were quite
crooked with excitement in his fiat face
and his short, stiff legs, were stuck in the
red bog.
Get me over to the black bog, which
is harder" he said, "and then | shall be all
right; don't want to sink back into the
earth again" Mary took hold of his
short, Outstretched arms with both her
little hands, and tugged as well as she
was abla After several attempts she got
, him pulled out OF the swampy ground
| and truudled him over ON the hard, black
peat, where he lay painting for several
minutes ard blinking his extraordinary
| eyes up at tho moon.
Il hope YOU are mAre comfortable now,
| sir" said Mary, with courtesy.
| "Perfectly comfortable. And now, my
dear, put your hands in my pockets and
take out what you can find. IT'S only an
incumbrance to me- after ali these cen
turtles. And it will pay your rent. Did
! You ever hear of gCld?"
/ No, sir" said Mary.
Put your hands into my pockets, the Il"
! said the dwarf.
Mary did as she was hid and pull, Il up
one after another a quantity of beautiful
| shining yellow things, brooches, collars
! and other curious ornaments If ancient
! Irish times, and she gathered them into
the skirt of her petticoat
"Now, run fast" said the dwarf, for |
want to go on looking at the moon. |
hav,n't seen the face of moon for |
! don't know how many centuries. Often
it shone upon me when l was a giant in
| stead of dwarf, and had a crown of
! leaves on my head and singing birds fly
| ing all around me. Tell your father that
the heroes who gave me these gold things
! to keep will never ask them back again
| from him. They pass me sometimes
marching across the bOgland at dead of
night, lamenting for the woods that are
! gone; but they are all flashing in splen
doris now, and have no need of such
| trumpery as these. Your father can sell
the gold and buy any number of pigs and
| cows"
linen JlS uWdr1 gave an eXJraCrGlnary
yawn, and rolled his eyes so frightfulIy
at the moon, that little Mary turned and
fed without as much as saying "thank
you" When she reached home she
emptied the gold ornaments into her
fathers lap, and told him her adventure
exactly as 1t had happened to her.
THE child had gone mad with hunger
cried Mary's mother, claspipg her hands.
But the father put the gold things into
sack and did not fail to sell them instead
of the COW.
When the whole family went in the
morning to look for the good -natured
dwarf they found nothing bat a huge
stump of bogwood lying in a particularly
awkward attitude on the edge of the red
bog, just where it had been Unenfthed
several days before. Where the dwar 5
pockets had been there were deep round
holes. Somebody said that the stump
had once been a tree in a mighty forest
and that the warriors of ancient Ireland
often hung their golden collars ard arm
let's on the branches of trees while they
| rested under the shade. OF course, that
does not quite clear up little Mary's mYs
terry; but anybody can see the gold Orna.
ments in the Royal Irish Academy.